Heaven & Hell, page 2
part #7 of The Gallows Series Series
“You’ll be close by,” she said, shrugging. She knew he’d have responsibilities, but if he was really concerned about something, or if she needed him, he wouldn’t be too far away.
“I won’t be able to come back and forth a lot. Apparently phone calls are the only thing that won’t be severely limited.” He smiled wryly. “Worst comes to worst I can always call in some threats.”
“You won’t need to,” she said, putting another plateful of meat in front of him.
She headed up the stairs, picking up her phone and going into her room. Shaun didn’t know about Ray, and for that she was grateful. He didn’t need to be worried about that on top of everything else. She’d heard him come home the night before, right after she’d gotten to bed. He’d been preoccupied enough to either not smell Ray or to not care about going back outside and staking another vampire. She suspected the former. Shaun wasn’t quite as lax about those things as he used to be.
Dev stirred when she kissed his cheek. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes when she moved back.
“Breakfast is ready,” she told him. “Shaun’s leaving today. He’s been reassigned. We won’t be seeing him for a while.”
“When did that happen?” He punctuated his question with a yawn. “Man alive, it’s early.”
She picked out clothes for the day, intending on heading straight for the shower. If Shaun wanted to give Dev some kind of talking to she was staying out of earshot. “Can you just not mention Ray and the whole thing from last night?”
He nodded. “I take it he’ll have other things to worry about then.”
“Pretty much,” she said, closing the door over for Dev to get dressed.
The shower made her oddly sleepy. She was way too warm so she turned the hot water off as soon as her hair was washed. The cold water didn’t do much to cool her skin down. She probably could have cooked breakfast on her stomach. She groaned. The demon bond was going to kill her. She called on War, knowing his presence would alleviate her ‘gentle reminders’ that the bond still existed between them.
He came quickly, pissed as hell. It’s been far too long, Sarah. You can’t keep shutting me out like this. I need a body. I need to be with you physically.
Yeah, that’s not happening, she told him, though she knew if there was any real danger to War she’d be compelled to act to save him. She couldn’t believe Shaun was being forced to leave right when she probably needed his help the most.
It’s inevitable. I need a body to keep our bond from becoming unstable.
What do you mean, unstable? She hoped he meant it would break. If the worst she had to suffer through was a demonic bout of heat-stroke she’d take it for the chance to be free of him.
You would die. I would lose my mind. It’s not a way to break our bond. You’d come to hell, but I don’t know what you’d be coming to. I couldn’t swear to protect you. I wouldn’t be myself.
If you weren’t yourself, then surely the bond would break?
He hesitated, making her more certain of her theory. Maybe. It might. I honestly don’t know. All I know is you would die, and I can’t let that happen.
You mean the bond can’t let that happen.
That shut him right up. They didn’t have real feelings for one and other. They were both being ruled by blood-magic. It couldn’t go on. She had to sever her ties to him. Or rather, someone else had to. Doing it alone would be impossible.
She got out of the shower, her skin noticeably cooler now. She dressed and put on her usual make-up, wondering when she’d have time to shop for new mascara as she realised she was almost out. In between protecting her new boyfriend from her old one, finding a way to sever a demon bond and learning to work with Melissa Carling without killing her, she had no idea.
Dev and Shaun were eating in silence when she got back into the kitchen. Her hair was damp, but it would dry soon enough. She pulled up a chair and glanced at Shaun. “So what time are you expected over there?”
He shrugged. “Mum’s meant to be coming to see me off. Dad’ll probably come with her. They won’t see me for a while.”
“You’d better get ready,” she told him. “Are you even packed for this, lazy-bones?”
“Of course I am,” he scoffed.
“Are you taking the creep coat?”
“It’s not a creep coat.”
“Just go get ready.”
He sighed, putting down a half-eaten sausage. “Aye, sir.”
Sarah smiled at the usual sarcastic salute he threw as he left the room. She picked up a bit of toast and looked at Dev. “So?”
“So I’ve to treat you good or else,” he said, smiling. “I think he’s warming up to the idea of us.”
Of course he is, Sarah thought, he doesn’t know Ray’s back.
“Are you feeling okay? You look kind of flushed,” Dev said, touching her head.
“I’m fine. This whole situation is just… weird.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered, putting his work phone on the table. “I don’t know if I should even go in to the office today.”
“I vote don’t,” she said quickly.
“Won’t the charms protect me?” He was wearing the cross pendant as well as the charmed nipple ring.
Sarah didn’t think she’d seen him without them since he’d gotten them. “They protect against demons. Ray’s in control of the vampire. Not the demon.”
“Well, shit,” Dev said, trying to smile.
“Wait there. I want to give you something.” She darted out of the room. The razor was in her jacket pocket. She’d taken to using it ever since War had confirmed to her that there was something special about it. Vampires didn’t feel pain, normally. They took damage and kept on attacking. It was what made them so damned deadly. The razor was special. It could hurt them. She didn’t understand what made it different to other weapons, but a simple slash could really hurt a vampire. It didn’t need to be a serious wound. Which was just as well considering the only serious wounds a weapon could make to a vampire were of the ‘through the heart’ or ‘off with the head’ variety. The razor would be perfect for a human who had no real fighting skills. She sat back down and passed it to Dev.
“Is this you telling me I need a shave?” He took it in one hand and touched his chin with the other. His skin was perfectly smooth. She knew he only had to shave every other day to keep stubble from starting to appear.
“It’s me telling you to be careful,” she said. “If you can stay away from him, that’s what I want you to do. If he attacks you, this will hurt him.”
He turned it over in his hands. “Cool. I’ll be careful.”
He put it in his pocket and she kissed him briefly on the lips. The doorbell rang. She jumped to her feet. “That’ll be the parents. You might want to sneak out the back door.”
He laughed, realised she wasn’t joking and got to his feet. “I’m guessing you haven’t told them about us.”
“I kind of can’t right now,” she said, feeling shitty for it. “Long story. I’ll call you later.”
She left the room once he opened the back door.
Chapter Three
Dev shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked home. Even though everything was so totally messed up right now he just couldn’t get rid of the smile that formed as he walked. Dredd had come back, and Sarah still wanted to be with him. She hadn’t gone running back into her ex’s arms the second he returned like Dev had feared she might. What they’d had was over. She’d made that pretty clear.
He fingered the razor she’d given him. It was reassuring that if his protective charms weren’t any good against this particular vampire he had something else that was. Especially since the guy would go seriously schizo once he realised Dev and Sarah were actually together.
He could count on looking for another job in his immediate future. That turned his smile into a grimace for a few unpleasant seconds. It returned quickly enough though. It wasn’t as if he loved his job. He could take the pain of interviews and commuting to an actual boring-ass nine to five if it meant he got to be with Sarah. He might even be lucky enough to find a work from home gig in website design or something equally yawn-worthy.
At least he didn’t need to worry about Ray jumping out at him right at that minute. Vampires didn’t exactly mix well with sunlight. He glanced up as he passed the office. The curtains in the flat were all tightly drawn.
He got home and let himself in, heading straight to the kitchen and plugging his phone into the spare charger he kept there. Sarah would let him know when the thing with her parents was done. He’d get back over there as soon as she did. His work phone was almost as low in battery as his personal line. He left it next to the charger, planning on giving it a charge once his was done.
His mother padded into the room in her robe and slippers. She had a pleased smile on her face and she reached up and squeezed his cheek as she passed. “How are we today then?”
“Great,” he said, wondering how she knew. “Kind of,” he added, thinking about Dredd.
“Raymond was over last night looking for you.”
“He was?” He swallowed, looking his mum over quickly. She didn’t appear to have any visible vampire bites. He remembered what Sarah had told him about the guy being in charge, not the demon. He breathed a tentative sigh of relief.
“He wasn’t looking so good. Kind of sickly.” She put the kettle on.
“What was he saying?”
“He waited in your room for a bit and then he left. You didn’t come home last night.”
“I stayed at Sarah’s,” he said, shrugging like it wasn’t any big deal. He’d started to grin though.
“Has something changed between you two?”
“Maybe.” He didn’t want to jinx it. As much as he wanted to enjoy it, he was afraid it would be a premature celebration. He knew Dredd had been to Sarah’s parent’s house before. He’d even stayed over once. Dev was no-where near that stage with her. Her parents apparently weren’t even allowed to know about him. She’d told him it was a long story and he believed that, he just hoped it was one that would change in time.
Chapter Four
Sarah answered the door and let her parents into the house. She felt kind of bad about kicking Dev out, but he wasn’t authorised to know anything about their jobs and she knew her mother would be suspicious about him being there at that time in the morning. They didn’t need to know that Ray was out of the picture. Not until Sarah figured out what to do about his sudden species change.
“Shaun’s getting ready,” she told them as they came in and sat down on the sofa.
She made a show of clearing the coffee table when she realised Dev’s sketch book was on it. The last thing she needed was her mum seeing his drawings of her daughter killing werewolves. She knew Sarah had no artistic talent and neither did Shaun. Besides that, Dev signed everything he drew. They’d know someone who wasn’t supposed to know anything knew everything. She picked it up, along with a little pile of trashy celebrity magazines he’d accumulated, and stuffed the pile into one of the kitchen cupboards. She turned the kettle on and had a quick glance around, wondering if she’d missed anything. There was nothing she could think of so she relaxed and set about finding mugs and checking for teabags. There were a few a left, and there was sugar. There was a splash of milk left in the carton too.
“Tea, anyone?” She sang as she slid across the wooden floor to the living room doorway.
“Alright,” her mother said, sitting down on the sofa with a weary sigh. Clearly she’d expected Shaun to be ready. Waiting around wasn’t one of her strong suits.
“Yes please,” her dad said, and the way his eyes lit up when he spoke she could practically hear him thinking about biscuits.
Sarah rifled through the cupboards before remembering the tin of brownies Dev’s mum had baked a few days before. At least, she hoped they were his mum’s baking. He’d said they were and she was fairly sure he’d run out of hash a while ago so she knew they should just be normal brownies. She pursed her lips as she put a few on a plate. Her dad wouldn’t notice even if he ate the whole tin’s worth anyway. Tracker physiology was different to human in a lot of ways. It took a lot to get stoned.
She poured the tea, willing Shaun to hurry up. The sooner their parents were on their way home again, the better, though the reason they’d come was just starting to really hit her. She could barely believe her brother was moving out. The past few years living together hadn’t exactly been smooth sailing, but she’d miss the dour-faced misery-guts, his endless complaints, and his bottomless pit stomach… She smiled wryly, guessing if he wasn’t family she wouldn’t miss the big idiot for all the stupid things that made him so annoying.
Her brother’s heavy footsteps were audible even without her enhanced hearing. She heard him sit down and mutter something under his breath. Clearly the prospect of moving in with his soul-mate was making him nervous. Sarah smiled. She was glad she wouldn’t need to worry about him. He’d have someone around who would have his back.
She fixed her parents’ tea and put everything on a tray she placed on the coffee table with minimal clattering. Her dad’s eyes lit right up at the sight of the brownies. His fingers reached for the plate and her mother slapped his hand, frowning at him.
“You’re taking your diet seriously or I’ll tell your mother,” she snapped.
Sarah and Shaun snorted at the same time. It earned them each a glare from their mum, who shook her head and sighed before she picked up her tea.
“Diet?” Sarah couldn’t help the eyebrow rise. Her dad had always been fond of biscuits and cakes. She couldn’t imagine him not eating them.
He shrugged and sipped at his tea, grimacing as he put it back down.
Sarah turned her attention to her brother. He was decked out in black, like usual, his look completed by the black leather duster that made him look even more like a creepy stalker type than he already did. He was pawing at the scar under his glass eye and staring into space.
“So, do I get to come to Ravenstow?” She really wanted to ask if she could meet Andi, but she doubted she’d get a positive answer on that. She’d just have to wait for the wedding. She smiled and decided to test the waters anyway. “At least let me meet Shaun’s new girlfriend.”
Their mum took a breath and rhymed off a list of reasons why Sarah wasn’t allowed to come. Topping the list was some garbage about how she hadn’t been ‘cleared to be there’.
She zoned out and realized Shaun had snapped out of his reverie to scowl at her.
“And Andrea is his new partner,” her mother said finally, tone sharp. “She is not his girlfriend.”
Shaun smiled wryly. “Don’t worry about it. She’s far too old for me anyway.”
Sarah could taste his sarcasm from across the room. She glanced at their parents.
Her mother was pursing her lips as she put her barely touched cup of tea down. “We should get moving.”
“Aye, aye,” Shaun said, saluting her as he stood and picked up the duffle-bag that Sarah was just noticing.
Her eyes filled with water as she realised this was the last time she’d see him for who knew how long. She rushed over and enveloped him in a crushingly tight hug.
He gasped. She let him go after she managed to blink back her tears.
He grimaced. “Hold the bus. I’ll be no use to them now. Sarah just broke my arms.”
“Ha ha,” Sarah said, giving his upper arm a punch.
He groaned and glanced at their parents. “She’s beating me up…”
Their mum rolled her eyes as she got up. “I’ll get the car started.”
Their dad got up, dutifully following, and then stopping to grab two brownies from the plate. He shrugged as he made them disappear, a blissful look on his face that made him look younger instantly.
“Jack,” their mother called, her head peeking around the doorway. She looked suspicious.
Their dad swallowed, getting rid of the last speck of evidence. “I’m coming.”
They left the house, her dad closing the door over slightly.
Sarah smiled at her brother. “This is it.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he said. He let out a breath.
She went to the phone table and passed him something she took out of the drawer.
He stared at the folded up map and the purple crystals for a few seconds before he pocketed them. “Thanks.”
“I’ll see you when I see you, scar-face.”
He nodded slowly as he picked up his bag again.
She watched her brother go and wondered when she’d see him again. The second the door was closed Sarah realised how empty the house was. She was alone. It felt kind of weird. She’d never been one to freak out about being home alone. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t take any intruders, human or otherwise, without even breaking a sweat.
You’re not alone. You’ll never have to be alone.
She sighed. “Go away, War.”
He left and she felt her skin warm instantly. It was November, there was snow on the ground, and she was burning up as if she was standing under a heat lamp. This had to stop. She paced around the house a little, putting Dev’s magazines and sketch pad back where they’d been. She went back into the kitchen and started washing the dishes absently while her mind wandered. Staring out of the window, she took in the trees surrounding the back garden and wondered why the hell she’d ever thought this house was good pick for a place to live. It was the first one they’d been offered, and she supposed she’d been over eager to escape her parent’s house. If she hadn’t convinced Shaun it was an awesome house for them, she’d never have met Dev, or Ray.
She sent Dev a text to let him know the coast was clear once she was sure her parents had to be in Ravenstow. She was still kind of annoyed that she hadn’t been ‘cleared’ to be there for her brother’s induction. She rolled her eyes. Nothing the Council ever did made sense to her.
Her phone vibrated in her hand as she made her way back to the couch. The message was from the third problem on her ever-growing list. Ben was apparently starting to realise she was ignoring his texts on purpose.
